Trump, Modi, India and Neighbours !
In the midst of euphoria over the historic comeback of Donald Trump as 47th President of the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after posting his congratulatory tweet to “my dear friend”, telephoned to greet him on his victory. During the conversation, Donald Trump, according to sources, repeatedly described India as a “magnificent country” and Modi as “a magnificent leader whom much of the world loves”. Trump described the conversation as among the first he had with a head of government after his victory. The question is: what will be the implications on India and her neighbours after a regime change in the White House? Will the Modi-Trump personal chemistry work towards strengthening bilateral relations? Trump is known as a hard bargainer and a sharp businessman. Will it affect India-US trade ties? Trump is a hawk on the issue of immigrant policies. Will it make U.S. visa rules tougher?
Trump’s victory vis-a-vis India can be seen from two angles:
One, his personal friendship with Narendra Modi. Both know each other very well. Trump follows a personalized style in diplomacy and on many occasions, he has described Modi as his friend and a strong leader. This is going to benefit India. Two, India’s diplomacy requirements. China has been posing a challenge to India in the last one decade, and Trump’s friendship with Modi will have its effect here too. Justin Trudeau in Canada has become a headache for India because of his overt support to Khalistani separatists and the outgoing Biden administration had been extending support to Trudeau. These equations are going to change and India will emerge stronger.
BANGLADESH
Trump’s recent statement about atrocities being perpetrated on Hindus in Bangladesh has been widely welcomed in India. On Diwali Festival (October 31), five days before voting, Trump wrote on X: “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians and other minorities, who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos. It would have never happened on my watch. Kamala and Joe have ignored Hindus across the world and in America….We will also protect Hindu Americans against the anti-religion agenda of the radical left. We will fight for your freedom…”. No American President in the last two centuries had ever said that he was a true friend of Hindus in the White House. The impact will surely be seen. Trump’s victory will affect both Pakistan and Bangladesh. Already, there are some straws in the wind. Deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, staying in exile in India, sent a message of congratulation, as head of Awami League, to Donald Trump, in which she said, she was willing to work with him for improving bilateral relations. The present interim government in Bangladesh is headed by economist Mohammed Yunus, considered to be close to the Clinton family. There are reports that Sheikh Hasina’s government was deposed by him with help from Biden administration.
PAKISTAN
As far as Pakistan is concerned, jailed former PM Imran Khan’s supporters are ecstatic over Trump’s victory and are already celebrating. They are optimistic about Imran’s early release from jail after pressure from Trump administration. But one must remember, it was Trump who, with Imran Khan sitting by his side, had said, Pakistan was sheltering terrorists and he would finish off their bases. It was Trump who had put a brake on 24 billion US dollars assistance to Pakistan.
CHINA
India’s third and biggest neighbour China is already worried after Trump’s win. During his earlier tenure, Trump had unleashed a trade war against China, and imposed heavy tariff on Chinese goods. He had toughened scrutiny of most of the Chinese companies, and this had affected US-China business. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said, “we respect the choice of the American people…China will work with the US on the basis of mutual respect”.
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST
European leaders have adopted a line of caution after Trump’s win, given his known stand that European countries must bear their security costs themselves. Trump’s win will have immediate repercussions on the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, in which the US have been providing finance and military aid to Ukraine. The strategic equations in Europe may undergo a reset. The Kremlin has said, “let’s see” if Trump’s win can end the Ukraine war. On Iran, Trump has always followed a tough policy. He had exited from US nuclear deal with Tehran. This time conflicts are going on in Gaza and Lebanon and Trump’s policies will be interesting to note. One must bear in mind what External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said about war. Jaishankar said, he does not think the US would like to be part of any war now. The reverse will be the case and Trump may chose to withdraw US troops and armaments from most of the conflict zones. Jaishankar has said that this withdrawal from conflict zones had already begun since the time Barack Obama was president. Joe Biden withdrew US troops from Afghanistan, and Trump has already said that US will not join any war.
Attack on Hindus in Canada : Trudeau will have to face consequences
The deliberate, violent attack by some Khalistan separatists on Hindus outside the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton, Canada, is a condemnable act, and it brings a bad name to all Indians living in Canada, particularly the Sikh community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his post on ‘X’, while condemning the incidents, wrote, “Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule on law”.
It is deplorable that the local Canadian police watched silently as the separatists attacked Indian Hindus with iron poles outside the temple. Instead of taking action against the attackers, the local police has taken action against Hindus, who bore the brunt of attack. Visuals circulating in social media show policemen pinning down a Hindu youth and handcuffing him.
The immediate provocation for the Khalistan supporters was a consular camp being held by the Indian High Commission at the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton where life certificates were issued to Indian pensioners living with their families in Canada. Khalistan supporters, holding provocative banners, gathered outside the temple objecting to the holding of the consular camp by Indian diplomats.
The act of local police arresting Hindu youths has caused outrage and anger among nearly 8.5 lakh Hindus residing in Canada. Hindus,holding national tricolour flag, have staged protests against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the anti-national Khalistan separatists. Justin Trudeau, in his tweet, condemned the attack, but it was more of a face-saving gesture. Trudeau wrote: “The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today are unacceptable. Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely.”
The attack on Hindus in Canada is cause for worry, not because that a handful of Khalistanis entered a temple, or enemies of India attacked Hindus, but because Canadian police is openly providing support and protection to pro-Khalistan terrorists. It is more worrying because Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is now trying to cover up the incidents because of his party’s political compulsions.
Few countries of the world can expect such double standards from a country like Canada. For India, however, it is not surprising. Canada has become a base for Khalistan supporters in the last four years. Canada is giving asylum and protection to these terrorists. Many of them have criminal cases filed by Indian authorities against them. They have been charged of spreading terror in India, providing weapons to terrorists and they are getting protection from Canadian government.
Those supporting Khalistan on digital media and issuing anti-India statements, are being treated as guests by the Canadian government. Last year, Indian government had handed over a list of seven dreaded gangsters to Canada, but Justin Trudeau’s government did nothing. The latest attacks on Hindus in Canada is a consequence of this and it has fully exposed the conspiracy being hatched by enemies of India. The entire world now knows that such violent incidents are the result of giving asylum to rioters and gangsters.
Hindus living in Canada are angry. They know that it is Justin Trudeau’s compulsion to support Khalistan supporters, because his government is thriving on the support of 25 MPs, who are supporters of Khalistan. This cannot continue for long. Not only Hindus, but most of the moderate Sikhs living in Canada for generations, are also unhappy with the attack on Hindu temple. They do not want the image of Sikh community living in Canada to be tarnished. The day is not far enough when Justin Trudeau will have to face the consequences.
Free Health Cover: Modi’s Festival Gift to Elderly
On Dhanteras, when Indians worshipped God Dhanwantari and Kuber for good health and prosperity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched free Rs 5 lakh medical insurance to all citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of their income level. This is part of the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat-PM Jan Arogya Yojana which was launched in 2018 for vulnerable sections with a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
Modi apologized to the elderly people living in Delhi and West Bengal for being “unable to serve” them since the governments of these states have not joined Ayushman Bharat scheme. This will deprive millions of elderly people above 70 years free healthcare. So far, nearly four crore poor people have availed benefits under Ayushman Bharat scheme, Modi said. These poor people would have shelled out Rs 1.25 lakh crore from their own pockets, if they had not been covered under this scheme, the PM said.
Let me explain in brief the benefits that citizens above 70 years of age will get under Ayushman Bharat scheme. One, they will get free hospitalization cover upto Rs 5 lakh, irrespective of their income. Two, elderly couple above 70 will both be covered upto Rs 5 lakh annually under this scheme. If any poor family is already covered under Ayushman scheme, the elderly members above 70 years will get extra benefits of upto Rs 5 lakh. They will have to update their KYC details and the Rs 5 lakh cover will be available only for the elderly. No family member below 70 years can share that cover.
Three, if any elderly citizen is already covered under private medical insurance, he or she will still be entitled to be enrolled under Ayushman scheme. Four, those ex-government employees above 70, already having CGHS card and availing CGHS hospitalization benefits, will have to choose between either CGHS or Ayushman Bharat scheme. They cannot avail benefits of both schemes at a time.
Five, citizens above the age of 70, will have to get their Ayushman Bharat card made, and the process has begun from October 29. I would like to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for launching this scheme for the elderly people, without linking it to their income level. Modi is surely going to get the blessings of the elderly Indians.
Determined India, China’s compulsion : Deal done
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday put their seal of approval on the agreement between India and China on resuming patrolling near the friction points in eastern Ladakh. The two leaders also decided to resume Special Representative level talks to iron the vexed India-China boundary dispute. These talks have not taken place since 2019, when tension flared up in Dokalam and Ladakh. Both the leaders decided to take relations forward from a “strategic and long-term perspective, enhance strategic communication and explore cooperation to address developmental challenges.”
The immediate outcome of the bilateral meeting could be that India would soon reopen its doors for Chinese investment, which Xi Jinping needs badly. But the pace of reopening investment shall depend on what happens on the ground in Ladakh and whether Chinese army implements the agreement sincerely. It was also decided in Wednesday’s summit meeting that India and China’s special representatives will discuss resuming Mansarovar pilgrim yatra.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and India’s Sherpa at BRICS Dammu Ravi were present with PM Modi at the meeting, while the Chinese President was assisted by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chinese Communist Party secretary Cai Qi.
Before the meeting began, Prime Minister Modi said, “mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual sensitivities” were essential for moving forward in bilateral relations. President Xi said, both India and China were two big economic powers and they should present an example of friendship to the rest of the world. Jinping said, both India and China want a multi-polar world and end Western hegemony.
The meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi is an important one and it has ended five years of tense deadlock. One needs to revisit the background in which India-China friendly relations went on a downward spiral because of tension near LAC.
In Dokalam near the Bhutan border, when Chinese troops confronted the Indian army, our brave jawans stood their ground for 72 days and did not allow the Chinese troops to move an inch forward. China again broke mutual trust, when its army ignited tension in Ladakh. It built big infrastructures on its side of the border which posed a security risk for India. India became active on a war footing, built roads, bridges and tunnels near the border at breakneck speed and under PM Modi’s instructions, made mirror deployment of its troops to match Chinese buildup. It was then that the Chinese strategists realized that this was a new India, which was not going to be browbeaten.
In the last three years, Chinese army did not make any big transgression, and instead, sent feelers for resumption of trade and investment, even as talks on reducing border tension was going on. The downslide in investment and trade also affected Indian industrial sectors like electronics, pharma and chemicals, which were dependent on China for procuring raw materials.
Despite facing losses, India stood its ground saying that until and unless there is agreement on the border standoff, talks on other issues cannot be reopened. India did not bow despite economic losses. Ultimately, China understood and Indian diplomacy succeeded.
After several months of talks, China agreed for patrolling deal to be followed by disengagement. By reaching a deal, India and China have told the rest of the world that they were moving forward to normalize relations. Prime Minister Modi’s personal friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin helped in bringing about agreement.
Though such intervention are never admitted officially, one point is clear: India has told the world that it shall never compromise with its self-respect in any situation. This was underlined by PM Modi at Wednesday’s bilateral, when he said that peace and stability on the border was a top priority for both countries, but, in the next sentence, he said, that “mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensibilities” were of essence for improving relations. Modi’s message is clear: India wants good relations with its neighbours, but it will never compromise on the issue of self-respect.
India-China Bhai Bhai: Welcome, but be careful
A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was due to have a first bilateral meeting in five years with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan(Russia), a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing confirmed that India and China have “reached a solution on relevant matters” (in eastern Laddakh). He said, China would work with India to implement it, but declined to provide details.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had announced on Monday that both the countries have agreed on patrolling arrangements following negotiations to end the four-year-long standoff. Misri expressed hope that this may lead to eventual disengagement of armies deployed on both sides of Line of Actual Control and eventually a resolution of disputes that arose in 2020.
Details of the agreement that are unofficially available show that Indian and Chinese troops can now patrol within their borders in Depsang Plains and Demchok. Troops of both countries can patrol their areas twice a month. To avoid any chance of confrontation, each patrolling team on both sides will not have more than 15 soldiers. Troops of both countries can patrol by staying 200-300 metres away from LAC.
Under the agreement, Indian and Chinese army commanders will coordinate between each other before sending their patrolling parties. The objective is to avoid recurrence of confrontation that had taken place in Galwan valley in May 2020, when 20 Indian soldiers were martyred and a large number of Chinese troops were killed. In July, 2020, both armies had disengaged in Galwan and Hot Springs, and in 2021, they had withdrawn their troops in Gogra and Pangong Tso. But both troops are still locked in a close confrontation for the last four years in Depsang Plains and Demchok border points. Now, the agreement also covers both these areas.
In Depsang, Indian troops can patrol upto Point 10 and Point 13, which had come to a standstill during the last four years. Chinese army will withdraw its troops from Depsang and dismantle its sctructures.
According to the agreement, troops of both countries will withdraw from LAC during winter, and for better coordination, commanders of both sides will have meetings every month. Though official details are not available, one must understand the broad meaning behind this agreement.
One, Chinese troops will return from those areas they had occupied four years ago, and the status quo situation of April, 2020, will be restored. A plan has been prepared for resolving the border standoff that has created tension. Two, the adverse effects on India-China bilateral trade that had taken place following the border standoff, will now end in a phased manner. There are many industrial sectors in India that are dependent on raw material procurement from China. These sectors can now heave a sigh of relief. Three, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had been frequently raising the China border issue at his public meetings, while AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had been alleging that Chinese troops have occupied Indian territory. These leaders will now lose an issue that they have been raising frequently. Four, it seems that Russian President Vladimir Putin played an important role behind the scenes to bring about a reduction in tension between Modi’s India and Jinping’s China. India and China are the founder members of BRICS group. By ending tension on the border, they have conveyed an important message to those parts of the world which are facing conflicts. For example, Ukraine and Middle East.
In his bilateral meeting with President Putin on Tuesday, Modi stressed on the point that “war cannot be a solution for any dispute and solution can be arrived at only through negotiations”.
Vintage Modi is back: Exposes Congress on caste
A day after the spectacular Haryana victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharpened his attack on Congress saying, the results of Haryana reflect the nation’s mood. He said, Congress was trying to spread its ‘hateful and poisonous agenda’ by dividing Hindus among caste lines for partisan ends. Modi said, “Congress never raises the issue of caste divisions within the Muslim community. Its formula is simple: keep Muslims as a vote bank by spreading fear, and divide Hindu society on caste lines to score electoral advantage…The same Congress leaders who raise caste division issue among Hindus remain mum about caste divisions among Indian Muslims”.
The Prime Minister’s tone and tenor of speech reminds one of Vintage Modi, whose self-confidence now seems to be on a high. Modi replied to all questions that were being raised after BJP’s seat tally was reduced in the Lok Sabha elections. He made it clear that neither has his popularity waned, nor has the nation’s mood changed for the Congress to stop his BJP juggernaut. Modi’s speech was meant to convey to the people that the Congress was trying to divide only Hindus, and not Muslims. This was in reference to the vote divisions that were noticed among Hindu castes during the Lok Sabha elections.
There is a Hindi proverb, ‘Kaath Ki Haandi Baar Baar Nahin Chadhti’ (you can deceive once, but not always). BJP got voters from all sections of society this time in Haryana and the party has regained its mojo.
On the other hand, the anti-Modi bloc appears to be demoralized and already knives are out among the allies against the ‘arrogant’ attitude of Congress party. The immediate consequences are being seen in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, UP and Delhi.
In UP, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav snubbed the Congress and unilaterally declared the names of six candidates out of 10 seats going for byelections, without consulting his ally. Akhilesh had already realized that the gains made in LS elections by Congress in UP was at the cost of Samajwadi Party, while in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, Congress refused to share a single seat with his party. The Congress was demanding five out of the 10 seats in UP assembly byelections. Akhilesh was waiting for the right moment, and he struck the day after the Haryana results were out.
In Maharashtra, Congress, which had been asking for more seats in Maha Vikas Aghadi, has now lost its bargaining power, and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is pressing for the MVA to declare him as the chief ministerial candidate. The allies are now telling Congress that it derives its strength from INDIA bloc, and the party has no clout in the absence of an alliance.
In Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party has declared that there would be no alliance with Congress for assembly polls. Arvind Kejriwal wanted a toehold in Haryana, but the Congress leaders, feeling the ‘wind’ blowing in favour of the party, kept the seat-sharing issue hanging and rejected AAP’s request at the last moment. A furious Kejriwal fielded his candidates in all the 90 seats in Haryana. Though his party drew a blank, it halted Congress from returning to power.
One Nation, One Election : What’s the game?
When the first general elections in India were held in 1951, after our nation became a republic, both Lok Sabha and assembly elections were held simultaneously. The ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea is not new. Probably, the makers of the Constitution had no premonitions about break-up of political parties, leaders changing parties, governments collapsing, followed by mid-term elections. The reality now is: governments at the Centre and states collapsed so many times and subsequently elections were held.
We have now arrived at a situation where assembly elections are held in states after gaps of almost every six months. Because of frequent holding of elections, neither the Centre nor the state governments can undertake reforms and take hard decisions, out of fear that they might lose their vote banks, or face dissatisfaction from voters. The idea of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections is a good one, but it may be difficult to implement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intentions may be bonafide, but it has now become a habit for the Congress to oppose every major decision of Modi government. Congress leaders smell conspiracy behing every major step that Modi takes. Other political parties, instead of accepting the merits, will rather opt to weigh whether the decision will be useful or harmful to their interests.
To expect political parties to rise above politics on the issue of ‘One Nation, One Election’, is to ask for the moon. At the ground level, some opposition parties feel that if simultaneous elections are held, they may not have adequate resources to counter Modi. Their second fear is that they do not have a strong national level leader like Modi who can sway voters when elections are held across the country. But these parties are unwilling to admit this in public. That is why, these opposition leaders are giving diverse reactions.
Some allege that Modi is trying to weaken state governments, some allege an RSS agenda behind this, while some say, Modi wants to bring presidential system of government. All such apprehensions are baseless. I have already disclosed the real reason. Opposition leaders feel that even if all of them join hands in a ‘One Nation, One Election’ battle, they cannot match Modi. They apprehend that Modi has opted for ‘One Nation, One Election’ because he may be having a big plan in his mind which he wants to implement. This fear and suspicion will prevent most of these parties from coming forward to support this decision.
Self-appointed agents of integrity should be challenged!
The unnecessary controversy raised by some opposition parties over Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the Ganapati Puja at the residence of Chief Justice of India Y. V. Chandrachud is worrisome. More than 30 hours of political sabre-rattling took place over a merely 30-second video and a mountain was sought to be made out of a molehill. It is surprising that some opposition leaders have questioned the neutrality and integrity of the Chief Justice of India. A courtesy visit of the PM to the Chief Justice’s residence was sought to be made a topic of controversy and the question of judicial independence was raised.
The first party to raise the flag was Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, because its case is pending in Supreme Court. Is a mere courtesy visit of the PM going to make our Chief Justice biased?
Kapil Sibal, himself a politician and also the president of Supreme Court Bar Association, first praised the CJI describing him as “a man of great personal integrity”, but in the same breath, he remarked that “no public functionary should publicize a private event…if there is a gossip around it, it is not fair to the institution.”
BJP leaders reminded how when Dr Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, the then CJI used to visit the PM’s iftar parties. Bar Council of India chairman and BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra said, there are some lawyers who always try to create controversies out of nothing. Let me make one thing clear. All those who have questioned the Prime Minister’s visit to the Chief Justice’s residence to attend the Ganapati Puja, are doing great injustice to Chief Justice Chandrachud. Those slyly alleging that PM Narendra Modi has done some “setting” with the CJI, or has told him something secret, probably do not know that the Prime Minister need not wait for an opportunity to attend a Puja in order to speak to the CJI.
There are several such opportunities when the PM and Chief Justice attend public functions together. On the question, why the Prime Minister made the video public, I can only say that had the PM not made the video public, there would have been a hue and cry about a secret meeting with the CJI. The same persons would have then asked why the PM did not make any video public, when he makes every video of his interaction public.
Is it Constitutionally or legally unacceptable for the Chief Justice of India to invite the Prime Minister to his residence? Was it a midnight secret rendezvous over which much hue and cry is being made. Those trying to create an issue over this courtesy visit are actually trying to exert pressure on the Chief Justice. These people know that the Chief Justice will not comment on this issue because he has to uphold the dignity of his chair.
The Prime Minister is not going to react because he has his limitations. On the other hand, these people had a field day on social media. But look at their history. Almost every Chief Justice used to do this. These are the people who used to label the Chief Election Commissioner as pliable, and question the reliability of EVMs, even before the LS election results were announced.
The same people had questioned the claims of our Armed Forces. These are the people who repeatedly try to discredit the media. These are the persons who portray themselves as self-appointed agents of integrity and try to defame and intimidate others. Time has come to give such people a strong reply instead of ignoring them.